National Museum of China

National Museum of China (NMC) is located at the east side of Tiananmen Square and opposite with the Great Hall of the People. It was founded in February 2003, based on the merging of two previous museums, namely the National Museum of Chinese History and National Museum of Chinese Revolution. NMC, an integrated national museum under the Ministry of Culture of China, draws equally from both history and art and is dedicated to its collections, exhibitions, research, archeology, public education and cultural communication. Its basic functions are cultural relics and artworks collection, exhibition display, public education, history and art research, and cultural communication.

The predecessor of the Museum of Chinese History is the Preparatory Office of the Museum of Chinese History, which was founded on July 9, 1912. Upon the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct 1st , 1949, the museum was renamed the Beijing Museum of History, only to be renamed once again as the National Museum of Chinese History in 1959. The predecessor of the Museum of Chinese Revolution was the Preparatory Office of the National Revolution Museum that was founded in March, 1950, and was given its current name and ten years later. In August of 1959, with the completion of new building at east side of Tiananmen Square that housed both museums, it was called one of the Ten Great Constructions built to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. On Oct 1st of that same year, the two museums opened to the public.

From March, 2007 to June, 2010, NMC carried out a project to expand the museum such that it covers 192,000 square meters. Today NMC is the largest museum in the world with first class facilities and capabilities. With more than forty halls, we have Ancient China and The Road to Rejuvenation exhibitions on regular display and more than a dozen categories of display related to special exhibitions and international exchange exhibitions. Not only has the museum amassed five thousand years of Chinese art and cultural heritage, the museum itself attests to the long road to revival and provides high-quality exhibitions reflective of the fruits of this world civilization.